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Dr Tammy Jenkins (St Francis Animal Hospital) is one of Minnesota's most experienced avian veterinarians. She has been in practice for 45 years. She bred cockatiels to help fund her education, and raising them increased her curiousity about companion birds. At the time she graduated (and for many years after), avian veterinary practice meant primarily working with commercially raised fowl for egg and meat production facilities WITH EMPHASIS ON TREATING INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Her cockatiels, and the pet birds of owners who sought her out, led her to spend more time, effort, and research to learn about companion birds, especially psittacines (parrots).

DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS, THE FOCUS HAS SHIFTED TO THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CHRONIC REPRODUCTIVE STIMULATION. tHESE INCLUDE: EGG-YOLK PERITONITIS, EGG-BINDING, AND TUMORS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT; ALSO HEART, LUNG, LIVER AND VASCULAR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CHRONIC HYPERLIPIDEMIA; SCREAMING AND OTHER BEVAVIORAL PROBLEMS; SKIN PROBLEMS INCLUDING FEATHER-PICKING AND SELF-MUTILATION, WING-WEB AND LEG/FOOT PROBLEMS, AND MOLTING PROBLEMS (DELAYED MOLT, OR FAILURE TO MOLT).

Her more recent research indicates that as parrot owners have been trying to enrich their birds' environments, improve their diets, and increase person-and-parrot interaction, we have unwittingly been stimulating our birds' reproductive triggers and causing them to remain for extended periods (even years) in a breeding-ready state with their sex hormones elevated. When sexual hormones go up, thyroid goes down, lipid levels (such as cholesterol and triglycerides) go up, calcium and potassium levels are way out of balance.

Please note that these conditions can lead not only to pain and illness, but to early death.

Triggers of reproductive hormones in birds --

light -- not so much the length of time there is light, as the angle of the light coming in.

AND:

Please note that most birds with chronic high sex hormone levels do not lay eggs. Most birds will not form and lay eggs unless all triggers are met, including a perceived mating. (But bear in mind that many birds will masturbate...)

Dr Jenkins also talked about triggers for specific types of parrots (although most are very similar), methods of testing for chronic elevated sex hormones, and ways of reducing sex hormone levels (INCLUDING LUPRON).

DR JENKINS DID A STUDY OF THE BIRDS SHE REGULARLY SEES DURING 2004-2005, AND FOUND: Almost one-third of the seemingly healthy birds Dr Jenkins sees have substantially high lipid levels over a long period of time. Of these, ninety percent have liver disease. She believes most also have vascular disease, but she does not have a way to test for that.

DR JENKINS POINTED OUT THAT THE BIRDS SHE SEES HAVE OWNERS WHO ARE "THE BEST OF THE BEST" -- OWNERS WHO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT THE BEST CARE FOR THEIR BIRDS, THE BEST DIET, ENVIRONMENT, AND SO ON. OWNERS WHO BRING THEIR BIRDS TO THE VET FOR REGULAR CHECK-UPS, OWNERS WHO ARE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES IN THEIR BIRDS.

BOTH MALE AND FEMALE BIRDS WITH CHRONIC ELEVATED SEX HORMONES CAN DEVELOP HYPERLIPIDEMIA (HIGH FAT LEVELS IN BLOOD AND TISSUES). IN HER STUDY, 60% OF THE BIRDS WITH HYPERLIPIDEMIA WERE FEMALE, 40% WERE MALE. DR JENKINS IS SEEING THIS EVEN IN YOUNG BIRDS (SIX TO NINE YEARS OLD). WHEN SEX HORMONE LEVELS GO UP, THYROID LEVELS GO DOWN, AND LIPIDS (TRIGLYCERIDES AND CHOLESTEROL)GO UP. WHEN LIPIDS REMAIN ELEVATED FOR LONG PERIODS, THEY WILL BE DEPOSITED IN THE LIVER, LUNGS, AND VASCULAR SYSTEM (BLOOD VESSELS AND HEART), LEADING TO DISEASE AND PREMATURE DEATH.

BIRDS BREED IN RESPONSE TO TRIGGERS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT THAT LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEY NEED FOR THE BABIES WILL BE AVAILABLE. MANY BIRDS RAISE THEIR BABIES IN JUST EIGHT WEEKS!

WHEN BIRDS ARE NOT 'BREEDY' THEIR SEXUAL ORGANS SHRINK DOWN TO VERY SMALL SIZE. ORGANS REJUVENATE IN RESPONSE TO HORMONES TRIGGERED BY ENVIRONMENT.

MOST 'BREEDY' BIRDS DO NOT LAY EGGS! EVEN IN 'BREEDY' HENS, EGGS WILL -NOT- FORM UNLESS ALL TRIGGERS ARE MET -- SUCH AS, ABUNDANT FOOD, AVAILABLE NEST, MATE, AND PERCIEVED MATING ACT. LAYING ONLY TWO EGGS WILL TAKE MOST OF THE CALCIUM OUT OF THE HEN'S BONES.

ELEVATED SEX HORMONES ALSO INFLUENCE WHAT BIRDS CHOOSE TO EAT -- FOR EXAMPLE, ROBINS EAT WORMS IN MINNESOTA WHEN THEY ARE BREEDING AND RAISING THEIR YOUNG (FOR PROTEIN AND MINERALS), ROBINS DO NOT EAT WORMS ELSEWHERE WHEN THEY ARE NOT BREEDING.

THE TIME OF YEAR AND BREEDING TRIGGERS VARY SOMEWHAT BY SPECIES. MOST PARROTS HAVE A BREEDING SEASON/TIME OF YEAR. HOWEVER, INDONESIAN AND AUTRALIAN BIRDS ARE 'OPPORTUNISTIC' BREEDERS, AND MAY MATE AT ANY TIME OF YEAR IF ENOUGH TRIGGERS ARE MET. THESE INCLUDE COCKATOOS, ECLECTUS, AND OTHERS. AFRICAN GREYS USUALLY BREED IN THE SPRING, BUT A BONDED PAIR MAY BREED ANY TIME OF YEAR. SOUTH AMERICAN PARROTS BREED IN THE SUMMER. MACAWS LIKE HIGH HUMIDITY.
MANY TYPES OF PARROTS GO THROUGH MOLTING BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR BREEDING SEASON. IF MOLTING IS DELAYED, EXTENDED OR DOES NOT OCCUR, THAT'S AN INDICATION OF LOW THYROID LEVELS.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BIRDS' MOLTING (WHAT TYPES OF FEATHERS, HOW MANY, AND WHEN)

There was some discussion about African greys, their role in the ecosystem, and their diet. African greys delight in chewing on chicken bones, and eating meat. They seem to occupy a niche similar to crows, and are opportunistic scavengers and omnivores.